How much time has passed between the opening of the e-mail and the scream? Was the scream caused by some text that was read, or an image that was seen? Was the scream caused by an email message or the list of messages? The message content? The subject? The email sender? Hello, this is my first post at this forum:-)

Was the email from a certain website? This Mailing list? although there's a related yahoo group, so this would work Server?

How much time has passed between the opening of the e-mail and the scream? About two secondsWas the scream caused by some text that was read, or an image that was seen? I read about half a sentence Was the scream caused by an email message this or the list of messages? The message content? The message content, yesThe subject? The email sender? Hello, this is my first post at this forum:-) Welcome! Glad to have you!

Were you the only person with this reaction? Would everyone subscribing to the website have this reaction? Could we call this a "newsletter"? Was the news about a relevant person? More than one person? About you? Did you win something?

Were you the only person with this reaction? I am sure everyone who received similar news had some sort of reactionWould everyone subscribing to the website have this reaction? PerhapsCould we call this a "newsletter"? "Notification" would work betterWas the news about a relevant person? It applied to meMore than one person?Other people got similar notifications.About you? IndeedDid you win something? Yes, but may mislead if you're not careful

School is closed? You have the day off from work? You won a prize? By luck (like a lottery)? As a reward (like if you won a trip to Miami for being such an awesome person)? The Giants signed some awesome free agent? Something related to some current news?

School is closed? I've graduated, so not thisYou have the day off from work? Not found a job yet, though if someone offered me one, this'd be my reaction then tooYou won a prize? It's an award, actuallyBy luck (like a lottery)? There is a certain amount of luck involved inasmuch as earning the points which let me win is out of my hands, but not a lottery type thingAs a reward (like if you won a trip to Miami for being such an awesome person)? It's somewhat like this, though not a trip anywhere. However winning such a prestigious award (well, prestigious within a certain circle...) is definitely rewardingThe Giants signed some awesome free agent? The Giants and sports in general are completely irrelevant; try another of my interests, Mr. Coke, sirSomething related to some current news? Er...it's not "news" in a general sense, but it's a recent happening within that "certain circle" I spoke of. Once you get closer, Google may be helpful, but it probably won't be yet

LOTR relevant? Well, just a Tolkien fanfic generally. No characters from the LotR trilogy. HP? No.

Any of your fanfics relevant? Yes, indeed Is one being published? They have been "published" by being posted on a website, but other than that, no. Earning an award? The one in question most certainly did!

RECAP: Yesterday, when I got up in the morning and checked my email, I screamed. This was a scream of "ecstatic shock" because, in beginning to read the first sentence, I realized I'd won an award for one of my Tolkien fanfictions. The email was from the person who arranges the rather well-known (within Tolkien fanfic circles) awards, informing me of the fact I'd won.

...On second thought, I doubt many of you would necessarily know these awards. Google is definitely allowed, and of course you may still ask me questions...or ask me to $poil, since you've really got all the most important info other than the name of the awards.

Was the award for one of your characters? No, the award was for the ficletDid you only use existing characters? Yes, but not the usual ones...Invent a new one? No, but they were (and the situation was) unexpected to many of my friends.

Is the fanfic set in Middle Earth? In the Grey Havens? No to both, but remember that Middle Earth is the term used to refer to the continent that the Sindar, Exiled Noldor and their descendants, Men, Dwarves, etc., dwell on, and is not the whole of Ambarhini ("The Children's World" aka Earth) or Arda (used colloquially to mean Earth, actually means the solar system) or Ea (the Universe). To make things easier: It's set in Valinor, in Aman (Aman is the Blessed Realm, aka "The West").

Do recall, I know much less of the Tolkienverse than you do...I recall. I offer these puzzles for your education, my friend. :-)

Are the characters in any of the LOTR trilogy? In The Hobbit? They are mostly present in The Silmarillion; I will go ahead and tell you that they were the Valar (recall my first puzzle here?) and two of the Istari, Alatar and Pallando, aka "The Blue Wizards" for their garb...the Blue Wizards, unlike their three brethren Olorin/Mithrandir/Gandalf the Grey or White/he of the many names, Curunir/Saruman the White or of Many Colours/Sharkey/etc. and Aiwendil/Radagast the Brown, "travelled into the East" and their fate was not recorded...at least, not by Tolkien. What did *I* have in store for these two wanderers? You may also probe me for information regarding my Tolkien fanfiction pen name, which would quickly avail you of the answer, I'm sure.

Did you have the Valar and Blue Wizards meet? Yesish...closer would be 'reunite', as the Istari were Maiar (think of the Maiar as similar to angels, the Valar as similar to archangels, in line with the good Professor's Catholicism), except that these five Maiar "clothed" themselves in flesh, becoming Incarnates on their mission in Middle Earth.In a land foreign to both of them? No, the Valar remained "home" in Valinor, so the Blue Wizards...

Did the Blue Wizards end up in Valinor? They did. Proving that...(*insert title of story*) Finding out when, and what they brought with them, would be helped by reading the tale.

Your pen name - does it have to do with the Valar? With the Blue Wizards? With Valinor? None of the above. The title of the story, however, refers to the Blue Wizards...but only because I used it for that purpose. It is in fact a phrase Tolkien used, but NOT in reference to the Blue Wizards. It was featured prominently in LOTR.

Is the quote spoken in the movie as well as in the book? Is it spoken in FOTR? TTT? ROTK? Er...yes I *think* so, and FOTR, I'm fairly sure.

Would it help to find out which character spoke it? Was it spoken more than once? I think, in the book, it was actually read off Gandalf's letter at the Prancing Pony...drat not having my books on me. *searches* Ah. It appears twice in The Lord of the Rings' first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring. Firstly, it appears in chapter ten "Strider" in Gandalf's letter to the hobbits in Bree. It is repeated by Bilbo at the Council of Elrond.

In the films, part of the quote, but not the relevant line, appears in ROTK, spoken by Arwen.

"All that is gold does not glitter" "Not all those who wander are lost" "The old that is strong does not wither" "Deep roots are not reached by the frost" "From the ashes a fire shall be woken" "A light from the shadows shall spring" "Renewed shall be blade that was broken" "The crownless again shall be king" ?

"All that is gold does not glitter" "Not all those who wander are lost" Only this one, which is the basis for the title of my story, like so: "Not All Who Wander Are Lost..." (missed the "those" out, but unlike you, my book seems to be permanently MIA.)"The old that is strong does not wither" "Deep roots are not reached by the frost" "From the ashes a fire shall be woken" "A light from the shadows shall spring" "Renewed shall be blade that was broken" "The crownless again shall be king" ?

Couldn't find the story, but did dredge up a review...fast food delivery, eh? I've got to read this.

***SPOILER***

"Not All Who Wander Are Lost" placed Third place, Ficlet, General, in the MEFAs (the Middle Earth Fanfiction Awards) which, in the circles I frequent, are the Tolkien fanfic equivalent of the Tonys, Oscars, you get the idea. Very prestigious awards. So I'm really thrilled to not only have had my first nomination, but actually placed!!! Read if you want to, the link is there. :-D lotrgfic.com is a wonderful place!